UK government 'should rethink cuts and raise pension age'

"The economy is operating at around 4pc under its potential, signalling the need to rethink the fiscal tightening, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

""Given that margin of spare capacity, there is a case for promoting the recovery by postponing at least some of the austerity programme," the think-tank said as it unveiled its quarterly forecasts. "As an alternative to swift consolidation, it (the government) could raise the state pension age faster so that it reaches 68 rather than 66 by 2020."

"Adding three years to the average working life would boost growth by 0.3 percentage points a year for a decade, said NIESR, as the labour force grows and money otherwise stashed away for retirement stays in circulation."